Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March to Question 34943 on Gambling: Health Services, what steps he is taking to ensure the new commissioning programme is in place before the end of the voluntary levy period.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is a priority for the Government that in this crucial transition period, valuable support and treatment services for those experiencing gambling-related harm are protected. To minimise any disruption, operators must continue to provide financial contributions at their current levels until the levy is in force. The Government has received assurances from industry that this will be delivered.
Following the appointment of lead commissioning bodies for research, prevention, and treatment under the statutory levy, all continue to work at pace to design the future commissioning programmes, and to ensure that there is no break in the provision of services. Spending decisions will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to treatment tariffs on the ability of Community Diagnostic Centres to provide care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.
We have delivered an additional two million appointments between July and November 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endoscopy.
The consultation on proposals for the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme closed on 28 February 2025. NHS England is currently reviewing the feedback received, including the aligned payment and incentive mechanism for community diagnostic centres (CDCs). NHS England will confirm decisions about the final scheme as soon as possible.
Diagnostic activity continues to be undertaken in non-CDC settings, as well as in CDCs. As set out in the consultation, NHS England has proposed that the same payment approach is used for all diagnostic activity to ensure that the payment system is not a barrier to delivery.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will begin to distribute funding generated from the statutory Gambling Levy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is progressing work on the design of the new commissioning programme to prevent gambling related harms, alongside counterparts in Scotland and Wales, and is working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and HM Treasury. Decisions on how the levy will be governed will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2024 to Question 13158 on Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: Compensation, what further progress his Department has made in responding to the Hughes Report.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report. The report sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex matter involving work with other Government Departments. The Government will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report at the earliest opportunity.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health had an introductory meeting with individuals and stakeholders representing those harmed by sodium valproate on 12 December 2024 and patient groups representing those harmed by Pelvic mesh on 17 December 2024.
The meetings were arranged so the Minister could hear individuals’ experiences of the issues raised in the Hughes Report and understand their key concerns around both financial and non-financial redress options.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide a redress scheme for those harmed by Sodium Valproate and surgical mesh implants.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report. The report sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex matter involving work with other Government Departments. The Government will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report at the earliest opportunity.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health had an introductory meeting with individuals and stakeholders representing those harmed by sodium valproate on 12 December 2024 and patient groups representing those harmed by Pelvic mesh on 17 December 2024.
The meetings were arranged so the Minister could hear individuals’ experiences of the issues raised in the Hughes Report and understand their key concerns around both financial and non-financial redress options.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the long-term health and well-being of those born with cleft lips and palates.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and raising the healthiest generation of children ever. NHS England commissions services for children, young people and adults with a cleft lip and/or palate.
The patient pathway can start from pre-birth and continues into adulthood. Cleft services provide care through multi-disciplinary teams including orthodontists, speech and language therapists and clinical psychologists. These services are available to children and young people with a cleft lip and/or palate until they are at least 20 years old and to adults at any age. The service specifications outline the stages at which psychological support is provided and includes the requirement that all patients with a cleft lip and/or palate are regularly assessed and offered psychological support if needed. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d07-cleft-lip.pdf
All cleft lip and/or palate services are required to submit data to the Cleft Registry and Audit Network, which is hosted and run by the Royal College of Surgeons and funded by NHS England.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to the Cleft Registry and Audit Network.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and raising the healthiest generation of children ever. NHS England commissions services for children, young people and adults with a cleft lip and/or palate.
The patient pathway can start from pre-birth and continues into adulthood. Cleft services provide care through multi-disciplinary teams including orthodontists, speech and language therapists and clinical psychologists. These services are available to children and young people with a cleft lip and/or palate until they are at least 20 years old and to adults at any age. The service specifications outline the stages at which psychological support is provided and includes the requirement that all patients with a cleft lip and/or palate are regularly assessed and offered psychological support if needed. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d07-cleft-lip.pdf
All cleft lip and/or palate services are required to submit data to the Cleft Registry and Audit Network, which is hosted and run by the Royal College of Surgeons and funded by NHS England.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a community diagnostic centre in Sidcup.
Answered by Will Quince
Future Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) locations are currently under review. NHS England is working with integrated care systems, diagnostic networks and primary care services to assess and determine the location and configuration of services for future CDCs, based on the needs of the local population.